MEASUREMENT OF MAIZE COLD TOLERANCE DURING GERMINATION

Authors
Citation
Hj. Hope et R. Maamari, MEASUREMENT OF MAIZE COLD TOLERANCE DURING GERMINATION, Seed science and technology, 22(1), 1994, pp. 69-77
Citations number
NO
Categorie Soggetti
Agriculture,"Plant Sciences",Horticulture
Journal title
ISSN journal
02510952
Volume
22
Issue
1
Year of publication
1994
Pages
69 - 77
Database
ISI
SICI code
0251-0952(1994)22:1<69:MOMCTD>2.0.ZU;2-2
Abstract
With the adoption of no-till (NT) management, maize is planted into co oler seed beds than under conventional (CT) management. On clay soils, reduced yield under NT has been ascribed in part to poor emergence be cause of low cold tolerance during germination and early seedling elon gation. This study was conducted to identify a rapid efficient laborat ory predictor which would select commercially available maize hybrids with better than average cold tolerance. Experiments were carried out on 14 hybrids and a well known check, Pride 5, using controlled enviro nments in germinators to measure time to root and coleoptile germinati on and time to production of a 1 cm coleoptile at 11 degrees C. Growth measurements were made over a period of 4 weeks in a growth chamber a t 12 degrees C day/10 degrees C night and 16 hour days. No correlation between germination at 25 degrees C and 11 degrees C was found indica ting that measurements of low temperature tolerance during germination were not biased by variation in optimum germination at 25 degrees C. Corn heat unit ratings were not reliable predictors of cold tolerance but time to production of a 1 cm coleoptile at 11 degrees C was identi fied as being an efficient predictor.